December 21, 1917 -- Across the Atlantic - Day 2

        The submarine menace comes into the conversation.

Don Martin's diary entry for Friday, December 21, 1917: 
At sea.  373 miles

This has been a beautiful day. Got up at 9. Walked and sat on the deck nearly all the forenoon. At 11 a.m. everyone put on a life preserver and had a lifeboat drill. Good idea! At lunchtime everyone was kept off the decks and the gun crews fired at a target designed as a periscope. They scored 5 hits. At 5 o’clock Mr. Russell of Morris [Beef  O.] + I went up on the bridge and then had dinner with the officers on the boat deck. It was a good dinner and I was hungry. Talked about submarines. The officers frankly say they would not be surprised if a submarine “got” the St. Louis but they insist they could get the passengers off. It doesn’t worry me. I’m willing to take chances.

Weather mild + nice. Little sea.